In October 2007, Hokanson, a registered nurse, began working for a home health agency located in Fulton County. She provided skilled nursing services to patients of the company.

On September 18, 2012, a patient under the nursing care of Hokanson was pronounced dead in Atlanta. Hokanson continued to submit nursing visit notes to her employer, which fraudulently reflected that the patient was alive, after the patient’s death. The majority of the notes also contained a forged signature of the deceased patient and an attestation clause signed by Hokanson that she preformed the visit.

Identity Fraud carries a penalty of one to ten years in prison and a fine of $100,000. Forgery in the First Degree carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. False Statements and Writings carries a penalty of one to five years in prison and a fine of $1000.

Assistant Attorney General Robin Daitch is prosecuting the case on behalf of the State of Georgia. The case was investigated by Investigator Ralph Harper, Nurse Investigator Mary Murr, Chief Analyst Carmen Staley and Investigative Auditor Denise Colson of the Georgia Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. Investigator Chuck Miller of the Georgia Secretary of State, Investigation’s Division, assisted in this investigation.